Message from Alan W. Houseman

It's an exciting time for CLASP. For two and a half years, we engaged in a process to clarify our identity, raise our profile and update our communication to better meet our policy and advocacy goals. I am pleased to announce changes we've made to ensure that we remain a strong and effective advocate for federal, state and local policies that improve the lives of low-income people.

Today, we are formally launching our redesigned website, www.clasp.org. Whether you're a long-time friend of CLASP or just learning about our organization, our website will give you easy access to information and resources on issues that affect low-income people and their families. You'll get an overview of our vision and core values. You will have easy access to the wide array of issues on which we work. You also will find information about specific federal policies that affect the lives of low-income people. In addition, we have created space that allows our experts to give overviews and provide commentary on policy developments, innovative examples of promising state policies and current events. Of course, you will continue to be able to access CLASP research and analyses in a variety of ways on our site.

The website redesign is just one piece of our exciting news. It's fitting that our identity process is culminating now as CLASP begins to celebrate its 40-year anniversary. We began in late August 1969 as a public interest law group pursuing socioeconomic justice. While we remain true to the core values of our founding principles, for more than 25 years we have worked on policy solutions that allow low-income people to advance.

From now throughout 2010, we will recognize CLASP's 40-year history. In the coming months, we'll share with you information about events that we're planning to highlight policy solutions that work. We will also recognize the hard work of advocates, legislative champions and others in developing and continuing to work for policies that move this country toward CLASP's vision of a nation where families thrive, where there are effective pathways to education and good jobs, and where there is equal justice and opportunity for all Americans.

Again, thank you for taking time to visit our redesigned site. We look forward to continuing to share with you information about our advocacy work and updates and analyses on policies that affect low-income people.